If It Means Alot To You
by Britny Bella
Summary: The one that got away. We've all heard the cliche. For Nathan Scott, its more than that. He never expected to fall in love with her that summer. Or break her heart. Now years later, unexpected events will cause him to have to finally face her.
1. Damn Memories

**Title: **If It Means A lot To You

**Author: **Britnybella

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. Just love the characters.

**Summary: **The one that got away. We've all heard the cliché. For Nathan Scott, it's more than that. He never expected to fall in love with her that summer. Or break her heart. Now years later, unexpected events will cause him to have to finally face her.

**Authors note: **Hey all, thank you for checking out my new fanfiction. I will ask that everyone be kind. I haven't attempted to write a fanfiction in over 2 years so I'm probably rusty. Lol. Let me know what you think! :)

Extra points for anyone who knows where the title came from ;)

** Chapter 1 – Damn Memories**

** ****_That Summer**_

"_This is amazing, isn't it?" Haley whispers, awestruck, as if she speaks too loudly the moment might shatter into a million pieces. _

_Nathan sneaks a peak at her and smiles to himself. She has to be the cutest thing he's ever laid his eyes on, laying there next to him on the blanket, arms folded behind her supporting that pretty head of hers. Her eyes were glued to the night sky in awe, the look on her face that of an epiphany. _

_It was a hot July night, probably the hottest they had experienced so far that summer. The air was thick and hard to breathe from the rain showers that had snuck in earlier that afternoon. That was the funny thing about Florida summers. One minute you were out on the beach soaking up the perfect sunshine living the life, not a cloud in sight, the next minute the sky fell out and you were completely drenched before you even had a chance to realize the downpour was coming, much less make it to shelter. _

_A warm breeze rolled in off the waves and it felt comfortable and cool against his sticky, perspired skin. A much needed temporary relief from the stifling heat of the night. As it was his T-shirt was already damp and stuck to the skin of his back and chest. _

_He must have taken to long to answer, because suddenly she shifted her chocolate gaze from the sky to his face. He saw her breath catch in her throat for a moment and surprise crossed over her features as she realized his eyes were fixed on her and not the meteor shower taking place in the inky sky above them. _

"_Yeah, the most beautiful thing I've ever seen." He finally whispered back, never taking his eyes off of hers. _

_She grinned, trying to break the tension, and then cleared her throat. "Yeah, it sure is something else. I've never seen a meteor shower before."_

_Nathan's eyes floated to the sky and then back to her, and a small, embarrassed smile played over his lips. _

"_Oh yeah, the meteor shower is beautiful too." _

_A nervous chuckle escaped her lips and she returned to watching the meteor shower, choosing to ignore the obvious tension that was building. _

_He finally turned his eyes to the sky, completely confused. How was this happening to him? How was she having this affect on him? If someone had told him at the beginning of the summer he would be feeling this way about Haley James, he would have laughed in their face and told them to lay off the crack._

_In fact he had been completely annoyed when his half brother had shown up with her at their father's beach house on that first day of summer vacation. He had been looking forward to a whole summer with his brother, chilling at the beach during the day, partying all night, picking up all the girls they could handle._

_Lord knows the road with Lucas had been a long, hard one to brotherhood. They had grown up in different cities, with different mothers, both blaming the other for why their father wasn't in their lives. It was just in the past 2 years that they had finally bonded through basketball when their father Dan had finally reappeared in their lives and tried to make up for lost time. And this would be the first summer they would finally spend together. _

"_What is she doing here?" Nathan remembered asking Lucas as they stood on the front doorstep of the sprawling beach house, bags in hand. Nathan glanced at the small, mousy girl standing next to his brother who was in a crocheted beanie, long sleeved shirt and jeans despite the 88 degree weather and he smirked meanly. The girl was weird. Kind of cute in her own way, despite how plain she was. But still weird. Definitely not his type. _

"_It was a last minute change of plans, Nate. Something came up with her parents and they had to go out of town for a couple of months. So she's staying with us for the summer. And I wasn't going to leave her in Tree Hill with my mom so—" _

_I choked, I mean literally choked, on my own saliva, and then glared at Lucas. Who, in turn, looked at me strangely. _

_A chick was staying with them. All summer. This wasn't fair. _

_This was so not fuc—_

"_Hales, give us a sec." Lucas said over his shoulder and grabbed me by the elbow to spin me around so that "Hales" wouldn't hear us. _

"_Look dude, I know you're annoyed. This was supposed to be our guy's summer and all that, and I'm sorry that plans changed. But she's my best friend, so you better attempt to be nice to her." He said threateningly. Then he smiled and let go of my arm. _

"_Besides" He said. "She's really awesome once you get to know her. She won't cramp our style. Promise. Right Hales?" He shouted over his shoulder. _

"_Hales", who at that moment was attempting to walk down the driveway to go grab the other bags waiting by the car, turned her head at the sound of her name and…BOOM!, tripped over her own feet and landed hard on her hands and knees. She then laughed nervously and jumped back to her feet. _

_I snorted and looked at Luke who gave me a sheepish grin. "Yeah, man, I can see that." _

_Nathan sighed as the memory concluded. Somehow she HAD grown on him. In fact she had more than grown on him. It had been a month since that first day, and now he wanted to spend every waking moment with her. She was all he thought about. _

_He had never felt that way before about a girl. _

_Until this point he had looked at girls as toys. Something to be played with and tossed aside for a newer, better, hotter toy. _

_But with Haley it wasn't like that. _

_Haley was pretty. Haley was sweet. He respected Haley and was actually interested in the things she said. _

_What the hell? Did he actually just say that? Did Nathan Scott actually just say that he was interested in what a girl had to say? Better yet did Nathan Scott just say he actually __**respected**__ said girl?_

"_Face it Scott, you're in unchartered territory here." He mumbled and propped himself up on his elbows. _

"_Hmm?" _

"_Oh" Nathan said surprised, not realizing he had spoken out loud. "Nothing." He flipped on his side so he was facing her and she smiled at him. He was stunned for a moment. Haley James was gorgeous. How had he not noticed that before?_

"_You know, you're probably gonna think I'm the biggest dork ever for saying this—" _

"_Too late, James." He interrupted. "I already think that." He snorted and she swatted at him playfully. _

"_That's just rude." She giggled for a moment and then her face turned serious again. _

"_No, but really, what I was going to say was I wish this moment would never end." _

_Nathan glanced back at her and she smiled shyly, unsure of herself as always. Not even aware of how beautiful she really was. Unaware that she blushed and started playing with her hair when she was nervous. Unaware that with the slightest smile she could completely calm his nerves and make him at peace with himself. Unaware that she was the sweetest most incredible creature on this planet. _

_And at that exact moment he just knew. It hit him like a ton of bricks and suddenly it felt as if all the air had been sucked out of his lungs. _

_Nathan Scott was falling in love with little Haley James. _

_He reached out and placed his thumb under her chin and guided her face towards his. When their gaze collided she was startled at first. But after a moment, she just smiled that Haley smile and he could tell. She felt it too. _

_As he placed his lips softly to hers, fireworks ignited. Unlike anything he had ever felt before. And he was sure in that moment that they were shining. _

_Shining brighter than any meteor shower ever could. That was for sure. _

"Earth to Nathan Scott, do you read me?"

Nathan was snapped back to reality by his older brother's voice. He shook his head trying to clear some of the fog the memories had left behind. He noticed his breathing was shallow and he felt beads of perspiration gathering on his forehead, which he swiped at absentmindedly.

Damn memories.

"Yeah, Lucas, I'm here. Sorry about that." He all but stuttered out.

Luckily, due to his current excitement, Lucas didn't pay much attention to his brother's weird behavior.

"I thought you would be a little more excited to hear your brother is getting MARRIED! Or at least give me the "what the hell are you thinking?" speech. Something!" Lucas chuckled good-naturedly.

Nathan finally pulled himself together and grinned for the sake of his brother. "That's awesome Luc! I'm really happy for you man."

"Thanks little brother. I've never been happier in my life." Lucas stopped talking for a moment and Nathan knew his brother was smiling on the other end of the line, obviously thinking about his girl and how crazy happy she made him.

"So will you be my best man?" Lucas finally chipped back in.

Nathan felt a stab of pain attack his heart.

"Of course, dude!" Nathan spit out with as much enthusiasm as he could manage.

"Aw, man, thanks Nate! You really have no idea what it means to me. So we'll see you in New Orleans for the wedding then?"

That was about the last place he wanted to go. Could he really handle this?

It didn't really matter. He would have to. This was his brother. He couldn't let Lucas down on the happiest day of his life.

"Yup, I'll be there."

"I love you, little brother." Lucas said, and he sounded so genuinely happy Nathan knew he couldn't break his heart.

"I love you too Luc." Nathan smiled and hung up the phone.

He couldn't break his brother's heart. Unfortunately, that meant he was going to have to break his own.

Because seeing her again would most definitely shatter his heart into a million pieces.


	2. Come Hell Or High Water

**Title: **If It Means A lot To You

**Author: **Britnybella

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. Just love the characters.

**Summary: **The one that got away. We've all heard the cliché. For Nathan Scott, it's more than that. He never expected to fall in love with her that summer. Or break her heart. Now years later, unexpected events will cause him to have to finally face her.

**Authors note: **So I finally finished the 2nd chapter! You guys will have to bear with me as I only have a very limited bit of time to work on updates. Which is usually on break or lunch at work because my life is too hectic right now! But I do promise that I am constantly working on updates so continue to check back!

A special thanks to Mirna23, Windycloudcakes, truelovealways231, Sophiaaaaa, KTxx, AshleyM15 and HaleyGarica for your awesome reviews and giving me the inspiration to continue with this Fanfiction. You guys rock!

Enjoy!

**Chapter 2 – Come Hell Or High Water**

_**Present Day**_

"Haley James, not trying to be rude or anything, but you're going to be the death of me."

Haley stopped packing up her textbooks for a moment and shot an exaggerated glare at the handsome blonde stationed next to her in the Duke University library. He continued packing up his own things, oblivious to her death stare.

"Gee, Liam. No, that wasn't rude at all." She teased him, feigning insult.

Liam finally peeled his dark green eyes off his book bag long enough to shoot a smirk in her direction and she chuckled. The boy was adorable.

Okay, maybe a little more than adorable. Every girl on campus was drooling over the kid, following him around like little lost puppy dogs, hoping he would notice them.

And because she and Liam were so close, death threats from many a psycho girl were a weekly occurrence. That is, until Haley reassured said psycho girl that she and Liam were just buds and that she had no interest in him.

After hearing this speech, which Haley had perfected by this point, the girls either told her A) she must be blind. Like literally. "Awe, honey I'm so sorry. I never knew. Wait, you don't look like a blind person." In which they would proceed to wave their hand in front of her face as if she really couldn't see. B) "Can you hook me up with him? Come on, please? I'll be your best friend!" Or C) "Oh I get it, you're a total lesbian! Wow, that's a relief."

I know what you're thinking. Surely this is just my over active imagination.

Unfortunately, it's not. Face book poll results are in; Liam Chatham is THE hottest guy at Duke University.

And Haley James was just his dorky, tutor sidekick who was rarely even on the social radar unless it had something to do with the golden god of Duke University, as he was so fondly referred to as by his peers.

Yeah, I know. Barf.

"You'll get it, I promise. It's really not as hard as it seems. Its all about changing the question into something you can understand and relate to and moving on from there. We'll work on it. Besides it was only our first tutoring session." She told him and shrugged her shoulders.

"I hope so, I really can't afford to not graduate with my class. How embarrassing would that be? Not to mention I'm pretty sure my parents would kill me and if they didn't do that, they would definitely stop paying my tuition." He frowned, looking unsure of himself, which didn't happen often. In fact, Haley was the only person he was comfortable showing any sign of weakness with.

They had a mutual understanding and trust in each other they had formed over the years. It had been an unlikely friendship from the start. But after meeting at freshman orientation 3 years ago and bonding over a mutual love of New Kids on the Block, something neither of them would readily admit to anyone else, they had been damn near inseparable.

Lucas could never be replaced in her heart, but Liam had definitely become her best friend at Duke. She and Lucas had steadily grown apart in the 3 years since college started. She had stayed in North Carolina to attend Duke, and he had moved to Baton Rouge to attend Louisiana State University.

They still kept in close contact via weekly webcam chats, and visited Tree Hill whenever possible to see each other during breaks, but they weren't as close as they had been growing up and she was definitely thankful to have Liam. He had been her rock, and she his.

"Do you really think I can catch up my classes in time?" Liam asked, still looking slightly worried. The blonde usually exuded confidence and she had rarely seen him worried about anything at all. He'd grown up filthy rich, good looking, athletic and charming. What was there to worry about?

She had only seen that level of confidence in one other person in her life. And maybe that's why Haley had been so drawn to Liam in the first place.

Despite the fact that he was cocky and arrogant at times, and completely played up the reputation he had been given, underneath it all he was a sweet guy who was loyal to his friends and the people he loved and had an amazing heart.

Sometimes it felt like Liam was one and the same as—

Haley pushed those thoughts aside. She had worked hard over the years to put him out of her mind, to not compare every guy she met to him, to not make every person she dated pay for his mistakes.

"Of course you can, Liam. You still have plenty of time. I'm not gonna let anything like that that happen. Just have a little faith, my friend."

Haley grinned at him and he visibly relaxed. After a moment he grinned back at her and draped his muscular arm around her shoulders.

"I have all the faith in the world that you'll deliver me to the alumni promise land, buddy."

He snorted and Haley rolled her eyes. It didn't take him anytime at all to bounce back.

"Can I walk you to your dorm?"

He smiled down at her from his 6'2 frame with that charming "Liam Chatham" smile. The one that got him pretty much anything he wanted from anyone.

"Only if you stop trying to woo me with that smile of yours like I'm one of your groupies" She joked.

"Deal."

His face took on an exaggerated serious expression and he looked just plain silly.

"Much better." Haley giggled.

As they walked side by side to her dorm room talking and laughing about the gossip on campus, Haley found herself wondering why she had never once thought of Liam as anything more than a friend. He was gorgeous, obviously, had a great sense of humor, was fun as hell, and had been there for her through everything since they had met.

And on more than one occasion he had found her in her dorm curled up under her covers, crying her eyes out, and not once did he ever push her to explain. He would just hold her in silence, sensing that was what she needed more than any words.

When she and Liam first met she figured there would be no chance of him ever being interested in her romantically. He was a player who had beautiful girls throwing themselves at him day and night. Why would he even look twice at mousy little Haley James? It may seem like she was selling herself short, but in all actuality she had found comfort in having someone there for her, no strings attached.

At that time, being away from home and her best friend for the first time in her life, she had been subconsciously trying to find someone who could fill Lucas' shoes.

Now, 3 years later, she realized it was even more than that. The reason she loved Liam so much was the same reason she would never allow herself to fall for him, no matter how tempting the thought may be. She had already had her heart shattered by a boy just like him. Someone she had shared her secrets and her dreams with, someone she thought she could count on, someone she thought loved her in return.

Even though she had been so sure she knew the kind of person he was, it had all been a lie. He had been a lie.

And she'd be damned if she ever offered her heart on a silver platter to anyone else again.

As they reached her door Liam stopped and shoved his hands in the pockets of his blue jeans.

"Well, Ms. Haley James, here you are. And in one piece I might add. Admit it, you need me."

Haley gasped and hit him in the gut playfully. He doubled over, feigning pain, but his frame was shaking with laughter.

"I so do not need you. I'm a grown woman. I could have walked myself home." The brunette crossed her arms over her chest and pouted.

"Oh really?" He asked, his green eyes growing wide with surprise. "Because I seem to recall the last time I let you walk home alone you showed up to class the next day with stitches."

Liam smirked and her face flushed red.

"That's not fair! That bike came out of nowhere! I told you what happened. That so was not my fault." Haley threw back him.

She muttered something under her breath about bicycles being stupid and stuck her bottom lip out.

"All hail the Queen of the Klutz's" He stated, clearly amused.

When Haley continued to pout he chuckled and pulled her in for a bear hug. "Come on, Hales. You know I'm kidding."

"You're still a big stupid jerk"

Her voice was muffled by the thick fabric of his Abercrombie T-shirt and he smiled. He couldn't help it. She was adorable.

"Yeah, that may be true, but you still love me." He told her and lifted her chin. "And I adore you. No matter how klutzy you are."

His voice grew husky and something flashed in Liam's eyes that Haley had never noticed before. For a moment her breath caught in her throat. Just as quickly though, it was gone and he smiled again breaking the tension.

His hand dropped from her chin and returned to its place in his back pocket.

"Thanks again for the tutoring, Hales. Let me know if there's anything I can do to repay you. You're really saving my ass."

Haley shook her head and smiled. "Don't even worry about it. That's what friends are for."

"Okay, the offer still stands though so if you think of anything just let me know. I gotta head out but I'll see you in class tomorrow." He told her and flashed one more dazzling smile before he left.

Haley closed her door behind her and leaned against it. What the hell had just happened there? She had been sure for a moment that Liam was going to kiss her. That had never happened in the whole 3 years they had known each other. And she wanted to keep it that way.

She must have been mistaken, that's all. She had to be. Too much coffee plus too little sleep could make you imagine some weird things. She shook her head to clear the thoughts and pushed away from the door.

As she threw her book bag on the bed she noticed the message light was blinking on her answering machine. She plopped back on her bed and pushed the play button.

"_You have 1 new message." _

"_Message 1 received at 5:06PM"_

"_Hey Hales, its Luc—" _

"_And Brooke! I'm here too Tutor Girl! " _Haley smiled at the nickname Brooke had given her in high school.

"_Yes, Brooke is here too." _

Lucas stopped for a moment to chuckle.

"_Listen, we were hoping to catch you. We've got some news to tell you but we don't want to tell you on the answering machine—"_

"_Aww, can we please, please tell her Lucas? I don't want to wait!"_

"_Okay, okay, fine. You ready?"_

"_Yup, ready Freddy."_

There was a pause in the message then. _"We're getting married!" _They said in unison.

"_And I want you to be my maid of honor! Oh please Haley!"_

"_She's not even on the phone, baby." _Lucas chuckled again.

"_Oh… yeah… well please call me back and let me know if you'll do it! It would mean the world to me, Haley" _

"_Call us when you can. Love you Hales."_

"_Love you Tutor Girl!"_

_End of new messages. _

Haley immediately called them back to congratulate them and accept the position as Brooke's maid of honor.

"Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Haley! I love you forever!" Brooke squealed from the other end of the phone line and Haley laughed.

"It's no problem, Brooke. I'd be honored." The pretty brunette told her friend through the phone.

"I'm so happy for you guys! This is amazing. I can't believe you two are getting married! It seems like just yesterday we were all back in Tree Hill."

Haley missed those times. And, even though she never thought she would hear herself say it, she missed that town.

"I know! Time has flown. Things were so simple back then. All I had to worry about was going to school, playing basketball and hanging out with you guys. We were inseparable back then. " Lucas reminisced.

"Yeah those were the good ole days." Brooke pitched in. "My best memories are from back in Tree Hill. We wreaked havoc on that town!"

"Uhh, I think it was more like you and Peyton wreaked havoc on that town." Haley joked.

"That's not fair. Everything always gets blamed on me and Peyton." Brooke huffed.

"That's because you two are bad influences! Haley and I were perfect little angels before you two came along and corrupted us."

Brooke snorted. "Oh, please! You two are the ones who came up with the idea junior year of decorating the James Polk statue in the courtyard with Mr. Blake's stolen toupee. Perfect little angels my ass!"

They all burst out laughing at the memory. Poor Mr. Blake had been upset for weeks afterward, but luckily she and Lucas and never gotten caught. And on top of it the senior class had thought the prank was brilliant.

"Speaking of Peyton, how is she doing? I haven't talked to her in forever." Haley asked once the giggling had subsided.

"She's doing great. She loves UCLA and she and Jake are still going strong. Me and Lucas talked to them earlier today. They're coming down for the wedding!" Brooke squealed.

"Yeah, we lucked out. It looks like everyone is going to be able to make it. I was little worried when we decided to have the wedding in New Orleans. We thought everyone was going to tell us to go to hell." Lucas joked.

"Why did you guys decide to have it in New Orleans anyways? I always thought you would get married in Tree Hill."

It seemed strange to Haley that they wouldn't want to get married in the town they grew up in where most of their family still presided.

"We were in New Orleans one weekend just kind of sight seeing and we came across this beautiful old manor. I immediately fell in love with it and decided that was where I wanted to have my fairy tale wedding."

The brunette sighed on the other end of the phone, obviously thinking of how perfect her wedding was going to be. With Brooke's style and impeccable taste it was sure to be a beautiful event.

"What my baby wants, my baby gets."

"Aww, you're the bestest baby!" Brooke squealed again.

"No, you're the bestest." Lucas cooed.

After a few moments the sounds of what Haley would guess to be a heavy make out session could be heard through the phone line. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Eww!" She moaned. "You guys are giving a whole new meaning to the term three way call."

Lucas and Brooke erupted into a fit of giggles.

"Sorry about that, Hales."

Haley smiled despite herself. It was a beautiful thing to see her two best friends so happy and obviously in love.

A dull ache clawed its way at her heart as she realized that she desperately wanted what Lucas and Brooke had. But in order to be in love you had to let someone in. You had to let down your defenses and allow that person to break down your walls. In order to be in love, and be loved in return, you had to trust someone with your whole heart. And that wasn't something she had learned to do yet.

"Well, I'm going to leave you two love birds to it. Congratulations again. I really am so happy for you, Luc. I guess I'll be seeing you in New Orleans pretty soon."

"Yeah, we'll see you soon Hales. Um, Haley—"Lucas paused for a moment and she frowned. Lucas rarely ever called her by her full name. That usually meant only one thing. Bad news.

"Yeah?"

Lucas let out a heavy sigh and then continued. "Well I just wanted to let you know that I asked Nathan to be my best man."

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks. Nathan was going to be at the wedding. The same Nathan who had broken her heart as a kid. The same Nathan she hadn't seen in 5 years.

Crap.

"Oh." Haley couldn't hide the surprise in her voice and as soon as the traitorous sound left her lips she wanted to kick herself. What was there to be surprised about? Nathan was Lucas' brother. It would only make sense he would be the best man. And yet she hadn't even stopped to think he would be at the wedding, much less that he would be escorting her down the isle.

"Hales?"

Lucas' voice brought her back from her thoughts.

"Oh, Sorry Luc, yeah that's cool. Why would you even think I would care?" Haley asked trying to play it cool and push down the panic that was pooling low in her belly.

"Oh, well… I was just making sure." He sounded surprised himself.

"Okay then. Anyways I've gotta go. But I miss you! And Ill see you guys soon."

"Okay. We love you Hales."

"Love you guys too."

Haley dropped the phone into its cradle and slumped back against her overstuffed pillows. How was this happening? She couldn't come face to face with Nathan Scott. No way, Jose. In fact she had worked hard the last 5 years to not have to see him, went way out of her way to not see him. And that was no easy feat when the person you were trying to avoid like the plague was your best friends brother.

But this time there was no avoiding him. There was no way she was going to miss this wedding. And why should she be nervous to see him? She didn't do anything wrong. He was the one who should feel ashamed. He was the one who had broken her heart. Not the other way around.

Haley was going to suck it up and finally face him once and for all. She was going to prove to herself that he wasn't the guy her mind had immortalized him to be. She was going to prove to herself that he wasn't the funny, sweet, caring, amazing guy who made her feel things so deep and dark and desperate that she thought no one else would ever make her feel that way again.

She was going to see him again and all that magic was going to just disappear. And she was going to finally see him for what he really was.

A liar.

Haley James was finally going to let go of Nathan Scott. Come hell or high water.

The brunette grabbed the phone again and punched in an all too familiar number. After a few rings he finally answered the phone.

"So you know how you said you would do anything to repay me? Well, I think I have just the thing."

Liam grinned on the other end of the line.


	3. Stupid Movie Cliches

**Title: **If It Means A lot To You

**Author: **Britnybella

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. Just love the characters.

**Summary: **The one that got away. We've all heard the cliché. For Nathan Scott, it's more than that. He never expected to fall in love with her that summer. Or break her heart. Now years later, unexpected events will cause him to have to finally face her.

**Authors note: **So I'm super sorry this update has taken so long. I know it's been close to 2 weeks. I really struggled with this chapter though and had to o back over it about a million times because I was never satisfied with it. But it's finally done and I hope you enjoy it!

Thanks to everyone who provided reviews. You guys keep me motivated and keep me pushing to get my updates out even when I'm really busy. Also thanks to everyone who has tagged my story as a favorite or subscribed to a story alert.

You are all awesome! :)

So here's the 3rd chapter. Enjoy!

**Chapter 3 – Stupid Movie Cliches **

_**Present Day**_

"Thank you for flying United Airways!"

Nathan emerged from the boarding hallway with his small carry on bag slung over his shoulder and paused.

Looking around the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, realization finally hit him. He was officially in Louisiana, whether he liked it or not. The knot in his stomach was the size of Texas. It hadn't eased up since Lucas had first told him the news and only seemed to be growing worse with every passing second. His feet were firmly planted on the ground, but his mind was screaming at him to turn and run all the way back to Chapel Hill.

His mind was telling him to take the easy way out, as he had always done.

Why had he agreed to this again?

_Lucas' wedding. _

Right, that was it. It wasn't acceptable to skip out on your brother's wedding. And he would never think of doing something like that to Lucas anyways. Plus, he had to face her at some point, right? And he wanted to try to explain himself to her at least. Nathan had long given up hope that he and Haley would ever be together again. He had no disillusioned thoughts that they would see each other again and sparks would fly and they would pick up right where they left off as if nothing had ever happened.

Stuff like that only happened in the movies. Too much time had passed. They had changed too much, or at least he had. He couldn't expect that after 5 years Haley would still be the same girl he had fell in love with when he had been a stupid, naïve teenager.

But he hoped that at the very least she would forgive him, so he could finally move on with his life.

"_Nathan, you at least owe it to me to talk to me about this!"_

"_I don't owe you anything, Haley! This summer was a joke - the product of boredom and convenience - nothing more." _

"_So you're saying that everything… it was just a lie?"_

_Silence_

"_I want to hear you say it, Nathan!"_

_Pause_

"_Yeah, Haley… It was a lie."_

The pain in her eyes had been so profound that it still felt like someone was ripping his own heart out with their bare hands every time he conjured the image of that last night they had spent together. It still made him sick to his stomach to remember how much of a bastard he had been back then.

Nathan arched up on his toes slightly so that he could peak over the hoards of people rushing about and searched for the luggage claim. After a few moments he spotted it on the far left side of the airport terminal and made his way over to it.

"_Nathan Scott! Get your cute butt over here and give your future sister in law a hug!"_

"_Eww, Baby! Please don't ever refer to my brother's butt as cute again. That's just…weird. " _

"_Come on, It's just a saying! I don't actually think Nathan's butt is cute. Well, I mean, okay kind of—"_

"_Brooke!"_

"_You didn't let me finish! I think yours is much cuter, baby. Give me a break. He IS a Scott."_

Nathan heard them before he even saw them and chuckled in spite of the dark mood he was in. That was the thing about Lucas and Brooke. Their happiness was infectious. They might bicker like an old married couple, but it was plain to see they were crazy about each other. And anyone who actually knew them knew that they were perfect together.

He turned just in time to be enveloped in a huge bear hug by his future sister in law.

"Kind of…need…to breathe… Brooke."

The beautiful brunette swatted at his arm playfully but finally released her hold on his neck.

"It's good to see you little brother. It's been way too long!" Lucas told him as they clasped palms and clapped each other on the back in typical guy fashion.

It really had been way to long. And Nathan hadn't even realized how much he had missed his brother until that moment.

"Yeah, tell me about it. It's good to see you too, Luc." Nathan grinned.

As they turned and made their way to the luggage claim Lucas draped one arm around his brother and the other around his fiancée. "So how are things going at UNC? I don't think I've missed a game like—"

"Ever. I can't get him out of the house to save my life on game days." Brooke piped in and rolled her eyes.

Lucas continued on and ignored her good natured jab.

"I'm so proud of you, my little brother a star basketball player for the Tar Heels! It's just like we always talked about." Lucas tried to sound upbeat, as he always did when the subject of basketball was broached, but there was always an undertone of longing and disappointment in his voice that made Nathan wince.

As teenagers he and Lucas had concocted this grand plan. They were both going to work their asses off to get basketball scholarships to the University of North Carolina. Even as kids, before they had even known each other, it had always been the dream of both boys to get to suit up in those Carolina blue uniforms and take the court as a Tar Heel. Maybe it had stemmed from the mutual love and respect of Michael Jordan, and wanting to follow in his footsteps, or maybe it was just a side effect of being the sons of Dan Scott.

Either way, they knew they could dominate the court together and be damn near unstoppable. From there it would be smooth sailing into the NBA for both of them.

Senior year of high school everything seemed to fall into place. They both got news that scouts from UNC were interested in them and soon after that they were both offered full basketball scholarships. And that was that, their dream had come true.

Well, almost anyways.

Mid season their freshman year at UNC Lucas collapsed on the court halfway through the game and had to be rushed to the hospital. It was there that he received the news that crushed everything he had worked so hard for.

He had Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy; he was never going to play basketball again.

Up until that night, the Tar Heels had managed an undefeated season. And that night, because Lucas was out of commission and Nathan refused to finish the game, they lost for the first time. Instead Nathan had spent the night in Lucas' hospital room holding his brother's hand and crying with him until the early morning hours – Lucas crying because every dream he had ever had was shattered now, Nathan crying because he didn't understand how it was fair that out of a 50/50 chance Lucas had HCM, and he didn't.

Who had decided that he deserved his dreams more than Lucas did?

Soon after, Lucas transferred to Louisiana State University to be with Brooke and to pursue other things. He found in time that he really enjoyed writing and decided to major in English. Nathan had never seen him so happy, even when they had played together for that short time for the Tar Heels.

"Things are going good at school and great with the team, obviously. I never thought I would say it, but I'm actually homesick. Who knew being away from home would be so hard? I've made friends in Chapel Hill, good ones, but it's just not the same, you know?"

"I know what you mean, if I didn't have this one here with me—"Lucas pulled Brooke in close and kissed her lightly on the forehead. She beamed up at him in return, wrapping her arms around his waist. "I don't know what I would do."

A sharp pain shot through Nathan's heart as he realized that more than once he had wondered what it would have been like if Haley had gone away to college with him. They had talked about it once or twice that summer. She had plans of going to UNC anyways, it was close to home and she would get to be at the same school as Lucas. But after everything that had happened that summer she quickly chose Duke instead. He knew without a doubt the last minute change of plans was so that she wouldn't have to risk seeing him on a regular basis.

Even so he had pictured this whole imaginary life they had together in Chapel Hill. Sneaking away whenever possible to spend time together during their freshman year, then getting a place together after they had endured their first year in the dorms, her smiling face cheering him on in the crowd at games, going to parties with all their friends, helping each other study while having quiet dinners in their apartment, then making love all night.

He had seen it all, and had felt pathetic for it every time. She probably hadn't even thought of him much in the past 5 years.

"Yeah, you're a lucky man."

Nathan's voice betrayed all his loneliness and he turned quickly to grab his suitcase from the conveyor belt before Brooke and Lucas caught his slip. The last thing he needed was for them to find out he was still affected by what had happened with Haley. Then they would make a big fuss and freak him out more than he already was. Not to mention, Brooke would probably try to play matchmaker which definitely wouldn't go over well with Lucas.

When everything went down, Lucas had been ready to beat his ass for breaking Haley's heart. But eventually, after making Nathan swear to stay away from her at all costs until she had time to heal, they had made peace with the situation and each other. After that day Nathan never even so much as brought up her name in conversation. And if Lucas talked about her at all, Nathan feigned disinterest until the subject was finally changed.

"Let's go get lunch. I'm starved." Brooke whined while rubbing her belly through the thin fabric of her red halter. She spun on her heels and headed towards the exit, the boys following suit behind her.

The trio fell into an easy conversation about the events leading up to the wedding the following week as they made their way through the busy terminal. Which translated to Brooke doing most of talking while Lucas and Nathan nodded their heads occasionally. What did guys know about weddings and how they worked?

Suddenly Brooke, who was mid sentence explaining details of the rehearsal dinner, squealed and took off running ahead of them through the crowd. Nathan and Lucas winced. There was only so much squealing a man's nerves could take in one day.

"What is it this time? I swear that girl has ADD or something. She can't stay focused for more than 2 seconds. That is unless it has to do with the wedding, then you can't freaking escape her." Lucas grunted.

Nathan smirked. "You're marrying her."

Lucas sighed and the boys headed in the direction Brooke had disappeared.

And that's when he saw her. In that moment time seemed to stand still. It felt as if all the air in the room had been suctioned out.

He couldn't breathe.

Damn it, all those movie clichés were apparently real.

Oh god, he wasn't ready for this yet.

She was standing with her back turned to him. He didn't need to see her face though, he would know her anywhere. It was as if his body could still sense when she was in the room. A tall blonde guy was with her and Nathan's heart seized in his chest as he realized the guy was her boyfriend.

Lucas hadn't mentioned anything about her having a boyfriend, he surely would have remembered that, but the way the blonde guy was smiling down at her hinted at something intimate and beyond friendship.

He could feel jealousy bubbling dangerously close to the surface. Something about the ease they had with each other, the way she laughed at something he said close to her ear, the way she smacked at his arm playfully afterwards. It all reminded Nathan of something he had shared with her so long ago.

He instantly felt stupid. Did he really expect her to still be clinging to his memory after this long? Had he really expected that she wouldn't have moved on by now?

At the sound of Brooke's voice Haley whipped around, her pretty face lighting up with surprised excitement. Her dark hair was longer now and it cascaded in soft curls down her slender back. Her eyes were those same chocolate pools he remembered; only now they seemed older and wiser. Where that summer she had been a skinny awkward teenager now she was all confidence and soft curves. Now she was a woman.

God, she was more beautiful than ever.

Nathan immediately felt himself stiffen, his pants tightening in reaction and he cursed his anatomy. How the hell could she still have this affect on him after so many years?

Stupid movie clichés.

Yep, he definitely wasn't ready for this.

Shit.

"Haley James, I never would have taken you for a wimp." Liam teased as they waited in line at the luggage claim. She took the bait as always and immediately became flustered.

"I am not a wimp! I can't help that I'm afraid of flying! It's a perfectly common fear, you know?"

"You're right, fear of flying IS perfectly normal. Having a nervous breakdown on the plane and insisting to use the air mask the whole flight, not so much." He teased. "In fact, you rang that bell so many times I think the flight attendants were in the back devising a plot to eject you from the plane."

Haley's face flushed red with embarrassment and she punched him in the arm. He could be a real jerk sometimes. And he was always making fun of her. But she knew it was all in good fun and despite her best efforts she couldn't stay mad at him for long.

"That's not very nice Liam. I couldn't breathe! What if I had died? You would feel really bad right now, that's what!"

Liam turned to lean in close to her ear and whispered. "Don't worry, if you had fainted from lack of oxygen I would have taken one for the team and given you mouth to mouth." He flashed her one of his signature smirks and she smacked him playfully on the arm, chuckling despite the fact that she was pretending to be annoyed with him.

At that moment a familiar high pitched squeal brought them out of their conversation and Haley turned to see a very excited Brooke sprinting towards them full speed.

"Brooke!" Haley squealed in delight as the brunette launched herself into Haley's waiting arms.

"What are you doing here, tutor girl! I thought you weren't going to be able to make it in until tomorrow?"

"Yeah, that's what I thought too. But my class got cancelled at the last minute so we thought we would get here a day early and surprise you."

"And surprised I am." Brooke coyly eyed the tall, blonde Adonis at Haley's side. "Speaking of, you didn't tell me he was such a fox!" The brunette's not so covert whisper could be plainly heard by Liam who chuckled in response.

"Thanks. You must be Brooke." He offered his hand to her and she took it, grinning up at him flirtatiously.

Some things would never change. You could take the girl out of the game, but you couldn't take the game out of the girl, even where marriage was concerned. Brooke was nothing but faithful to Lucas, and was madly in love with him to boot. But she was and would always be the biggest flirt on the planet.

"So, where's that tall brooding blonde guy? You know. Your fiancée. " Haley playfully smirked at Brooke's antics knowing they were harmless.

"I am not broody! Come on, that was high school!" Lucas came into view behind Brooke and Haley all but tackled him.

"It's good to see you too, Hales." The blonde chuckled as he squeezed his best friend in the whole world tightly. God, he had missed the girl.

"Lucas, this is Liam. Liam, this is my best friend Lucas." Haley introduced the boys when she and Lucas finally ended their embrace. As she took time to look at them in such close proximity to each other, she almost laughed. It was freaky how much the two boys favored each other, in both names and their looks. Both were tall, handsome, blonde and extremely well built.

Haley sneaked a peak at Brooke who was taking in the scene with an amused expression on her pretty features, obviously already making the connection as well.

Lucas offered his hand. "It's nice to finally meet you Liam. I've heard a lot about you. Thanks for looking out for my best friend."

"No problem. I mean someone's got to right?"

"That's exactly what I used to say! I mean if the girl was left to her own devices she would probably strangle herself with her own feet somehow—"

"Or drown in the bathtub. I mean with Haley James, nothing is impossible."

The boys doubled over in laughter, obviously amused with themselves.

Haley propped her hands up on her hips in what was meant to be a menacing pose. She was glad that her two best friends were bonding so quickly, but this wasn't fair! Now they were going to join forces and make fun of her together!

"Uh, hello? I'm standing right here."

The boys continued laughing and she crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. "What are you guys doing here anyways if you didn't know our flight was coming in today?"

Lucas immediately sobered up and exchanged a nervous glance with Brooke. It was then that Haley finally noticed the tall dark haired guy hovering close by their little group. At first she didn't recognize him, but when her brain finally registered who it was her heart stopped.

Nathan Scott.

He was taller than he had been when they were teenagers, if that was even possible. And his body had filled out. He had always been in great shape, but now he was all man and she could see the muscles in his arms and chest were rigid beneath his T-shirt. Something carnal stirred inside her and she fought hard to push it down.

His dark hair was a bit longer than she remembered. But those bright blue orbs were just as she remembered. They were striking, and one couldn't help but feel they could cut right through to the core of who a person was.

God, she hoped that was just her imagination. She would die if he knew what she was thinking and feeling right now.

Those eyes still took her breathe away even after 5 years. And as his gaze finally flickered to hers, she felt like she was drowning. She was drowning in those bright blue pools, and for a moment she welcomed the sensation.

But those eyes held no emotion, no remorse. He gave a small polite smile and moved closer to the group. Haley fought hard to hold her composure and returned the smile.

"Haley, it's good to see you. It's been a long time."

He offered his hand to her and she took it in her own for a moment.

"Yes, it has. It's good to see you as well, Nathan" She said, flashing him a forced smile and quickly releasing his hand. She was doing a good job of keeping it together on the surface, but underneath that she felt like her heart was breaking all over again. She had prepared herself for this, but it was devastating nonetheless to have him look at her like that.

With no memory at all of that summer they had spent together.

There was no escaping it anymore. She had to face the fact that what they had shared that summer really hadn't meant anything to him.

Now more than ever she wished it hadn't meant anything to her either. She wished her heart didn't flip flop every time he looked at her. She wished her body didn't react to the slightest touch of his hand, arousing something deep inside her she hadn't felt in years and setting all her senses on fire.

After 5 years, he was supposed to be a fond memory of a summer romance long passed.

She wasn't supposed to still feel like she had been sucker punched in the gut every time he smiled at her. Things like this only happened in the movies.

Right?

Stupid movie clichés.


	4. Ignite The Light And Let It Shine

**Title: **If It Means A lot To You

**Author: **Britnybella

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. Just love the characters.

**Summary: **The one that got away. We've all heard the cliché. For Nathan Scott, it's more than that. He never expected to fall in love with her that summer. Or break her heart. Now years later, unexpected events will cause him to have to finally face her.

**Authors note: **Thanks for hanging in there with me guys. I know it's been a long time since my last update. Sorry! I really struggled with this chapter. And I'm sure it won't be the last time that happens. But I do promise to continue writing, even if it takes me a while to get the updates out. Thanks again to everyone who has read and/or reviewed. Please keep it coming. Helps me stay motivated.

** Chapter 4 – Ignite The Light And Let It Shine**

** ****_That Summer**_

"Nathan, where are we going?" Haley giggles, and then hiccups in her slightly inebriated state as Nathan tugs her along the steadily darkening shoreline. He stops for a moment to look down at her and a small chuckle escapes his lips. Even in her slightly disheveled state she was still adorable.

Nathan had managed to swipe exactly one Bud Light each for them at his dad's massive 4th of July party that was held near the pier each summer. And while Nathan only felt a slight buzz from his due to the fact that he had been drinking pretty consistently since freshman year, it was obvious that Haley was a light weight. She wasn't quite smashed but she was definitely on her way.

"You don't drink much do you?"

"Actually—"She starts and then lowers her voice as if she's telling him a secret. "I don't drink at all."

Nathan scoffs without meaning to. "You mean this is the first time you've ever drank?"

"Yup." She states and grins up at him as if she's proud of herself, her hand resting on his shoulder for support. Meanwhile Nathan continues to stare at her in disbelief once again realizing just how different he and Haley really were.

He had been drinking heavily for as long as he could remember—especially during his Junior and Senior year at parties— hooking up with random girls on a regular basis and sliding through school without much effort due to the fact he was the star of his high school basketball team back in Charlotte.

Haley on the other hand had opted to keep her nose in the books, working hard to be at the top of her class so that she could score a full scholarship. Coming from a family with 8 kids, and being the youngest at that, she was looking at no other way to pay for college than to get there on her own. Any free time she did have was donated to many different charitable causes—Tutoring underprivileged kids, feeding the homeless, organizing the annual toy drive in Tree Hill.

The girl was a fucking saint, and it only reminded Nathan of just how unworthy he was of the goddess standing before him. Not once in his life had he felt inferior to anyone, thanks in large part to the fact that he had spent most of his childhood living with his grandparents. They were the closest thing Charlotte, North Carolina had to royalty, and were treated as such.

But Haley made him feel like he wasn't good enough just by being who she was. And it confused the hell out of him, because he had never exactly been concerned with his moral fiber before.

He was surprised to find that it didn't upset him though; it only made him want to be a better person. More specifically, the kind of person who deserved a girl like her. She made him want to be… different. No one before her had ever evoked those kind of feelings in him.

"Lucas is going to kill us when he finds us." Haley murmurs, her head now resting on his chest.

"Well, then we're just going to have to make sure he doesn't find us." Nathan smirks and grabs her hand to continue down the beach.

They make it within a couple hundred feet of the beach house before Haley tugs back on his hand.

"Wait. Wait. I need to sit. Down. For a minute." She says as she slumps down into the sand pulling Nathan along with her. He gathers her in his lap and hands her the water bottle he swiped from the bonfire. She smiles at him gratefully as she takes a long sip.

Settling back into his chest, she lets her head fall back on his shoulder lazily so that she can stare up into the night sky. She's quiet, but continues sip at the water slowly.

After a few moments she sighs.

"You know, I don't think one can really grasp how small and insignificant we are until you stare up into the sky. I mean when I look up there I realize that there's a whole infinite universe out there and in the scheme of things— I amount to a grain of sand."

She suddenly sounds sad, wistful almost and Nathan sweeps her hair away from her bare shoulder to gently place a kiss there. She sighs as she tilts her head to the side, exposing more of her creamy flesh to him. He kisses along where the string to her bikini top connects with her skin, and then continues up towards her jaw line.

"Haley James, you couldn't be insignificant if you tried. The way you feel when you look at that sky is the way I feel when I look at you. You're the closest thing to perfect I've ever seen. You intimidate the hell out of me."

He chuckles and she turns to look at him, trying to read something in his face but he couldn't figure out what she was looking for. "You're quite the charmer, Scott."

A small smile tugs at her lips. "But I can't say I wasn't warned."

He frowns slightly. "What do you mean?"

Haley rolls her eyes and chuckles dryly. "Lucas was sure to forewarn me about your man whore ways. He told me I should stay away from you unless I wanted to get hurt."

Nathan immediately tenses, his fists clenching in Haley's lap. "What the hell? I can't believe my own brother—"

She turns to place a finger to his lips, forcing him to end his rant. "Lucas loves you, Nathan. You know he has your back. But I'm like his little sister. He was just trying to look out for me."

He thinks about her words for a moment, and then finally sighs as the tension slowly exits his body. If he was being honest with himself, he really couldn't blame Lucas for warning Haley about him. His track record, especially with girls, had been anything but squeaky clean and Lucas had seen it first hand on more than one occasion. In fact Lucas had been downright disgusted with his brother's behavior.

Lucas had always been a one woman kind of guy— hell he had been dating Brooke since sophomore year. Not only that, he had not once cheated on the girl. Nathan constantly teased his brother on the subject, not understanding why a person would willingly choose to be with just one girl when he could have whoever he wanted whenever he felt like it. No strings attached.

Relationships were too much work, especially when you had to pretend to give a shit when in reality you just wanted to get laid. Nathan Scott's personal motto had always been something along the lines of "Love em and leave em".

"That's not love little brother. One day when you find it you'll understand, because you'll never want to let it go."

Nathan had scoffed at this idea. "You realize you sound like a pussy whipped bitch right?"

Nathan had been sure that "love", the kind that Lucas was describing anyways, was just some made up notion. A bullshit idea that pathetic people bought into. There was a price for everything in this world, no ones love was unconditional.

And yet here she was. The girl who was making him question everything he thought he knew, everything he thought he WAS.

"You know that's not how it is with you, right?"

She settles back against his chest and he wraps his arms around her waist, his cheek coming to rest on top of her head.

"I know."

Just then, a kaleidoscope of colors burst open and lit up the night sky over the ocean.

"The fireworks!" She squeals and claps her hands together. He laughs and pulls her closer to him.

They sat captivated by the night sky. The beach was completely dark. The only light illuminating the night other than the bonfire, which was just a small orb of glowing light down by the pier, was the bursts of color in the sky. The moon was small in the sky, and the ocean was an inky jet black. All was quiet other than the thunderous sounds of the fireworks being ignited.

The moment felt surreal, like they were the last two people in the world. And as he watched her stare at night sky, eyes wide with childlike wonder—the greens and reds and purples dancing on her skin—he came to the realization that if she were the only person in HIS world he would feel like the luckiest person alive.

"Nathan?"

"Yeah, baby."

Her small fingers snake into his as he kisses her temple. "Tell me something— something that no one else knows."

"You snore in your sleep. I can hear it through the walls at night. It's like a freaking bulldozer—"

"Nathan Scott, I do not snore!" Her face turns red with embarrassment and she begins to swat at him playfully. He ducks his head and blocks the blows with his forearms.

"Alright, alright! I'm just joking!"

"Haha, very funny." She retorts dryly, but then giggles, unable to keep up her façade of being angry for very long. He gives her his signature smirk and plants a soft kiss on her lips.

"I'm serious though." She says quietly.

"Okay." At the sound of resignation in his voice she turns to face him, her smooth tan legs resting on either side of his hips.

The position is far to intimate and he has to fight to keep the images of what he would like to be doing to her out of his head. It was no easy task, especially when she looked like she did.

Her weight rested on her palms, which were spread out behind her. Her long dark waves fluttered around her face as if in a quiet dance. Every inch of her skin was tan and glowing, and plenty was exposed. All she wore was a bikini top and a pair of tiny white shorts.

At the moment, he was imagining removing those tiny white shorts with nothing but his teeth.

Fuck.

He shakes his head to clear the thoughts and prays to god she doesn't notice the tent that's suddenly appeared in his board shorts.

"Umm, okay. " He starts again when the fog in his brain finally starts to dissipate.

There was only one thing he could clearly remember from his childhood that he had never shared with anyone. His grandfather had been a proud man, a real hard ass, and one thing he had always drilled into Nathan's head was to never show weakness.

Tears over the daddy that didn't want you were a weakness. And he wasn't allowed to do it, he wasn't allowed to cry.

"As a kid I spent most of my time with my grandparents. Dan had never been in my life and my mom traveled most of the year for her job. My grandparents never really talked about Dan, and even if I asked about him they would just brush it off. I didn't even have a picture of my father."

Nathan pauses for a moment.

"I never thought about it much though. I mean you can't miss something you never had right?"

He shrugs it off as if the memory doesn't bother him but his eyes betray the hurt and abandonment he felt. Haley's heart breaks for him and she leans forward to take one of his hands into her own.

"Well, when I was 10 our school decided to host a father/son basketball game. It was supposed to be fun. My uncle Coop was supposed to play in it with me, and I was so damn excited I don't think I slept for a week."

Nathan chuckles at the memory as he absentmindedly plays with a strand of her dark hair.

"The day before the game we were all talking about it at school. I mentioned something about my Uncle Coop and this kid Jason got in my face and told me that I didn't have a dad so I couldn't play in the game. He said I was a bastard and that my dad didn't want me."

Haley's sympathetic eyes reach his own and she lifts a hand to palm his cheek.

"After that, I refused to go back. I pitched a fit until my grandparents agreed to let me switch schools. I never told anyone what happened, not even my uncle Coop. From that day forward I never let anyone know that I didn't have a father. I would make up stories about my dad— who he was, where he had been, why he wasn't around."

Nathan clenches his fists in the sand. He hated the fact that he was still affected by it all. It made him feel so…weak.

"I was just so ashamed." He finishes as Haley wraps her arms around his neck.

"I'm so sorry you had to go through that baby." She whispers in his ear as he pulls her closer to him, reveling in the feel of her warm body pressed tightly against his own. Her lips find his and she kisses him softly, her tongue flicking out lazily to graze his bottom lip. He deepens the kiss for a moment then finally pulls away to look at her.

"Ok, your turn. Tell me something no one else knows."

"Well." She blushes and tucks a stray strand of hair behind her ear. He noticed she always did that when she was embarrassed. "I play piano, and I like to write my own music. Since I was a little girl I've always had this dream of being a singer, of going on tour and seeing a million people singing along to my songs."

Blushing again she turns away, realizing how ridiculous she sounds.

_Way to go, James. Now he really thinks you're pathetic. _

"I know it's a really stupid dream."

"Hey." He whispers as he cups her chin in his palm and guides her face back towards his own. "There are no stupid dreams, only ones that haven't come true yet."

She gives him one of those sparkling Haley James smiles and rests her forehead against his so that they are staring into each others eyes. "Thanks for not thinking I'm a dork."

"Hey now, I never said I didn't think you were a dork I mean—"

"You charm me with your wit, Scott." She interrupts him and he responds with a smug smile. She returns his smile as she digs her cold toes into his side until he yelps.

"Kidding!"

He chuckles as he waves his hands in defeat and she finally drops her feet back to the sand with a satisfied smirk on her pretty features.

"So are you any good?"

She contemplates this for a moment then shrugs. "I don't know. I've never played for anyone but myself."

He nods, but his expression is thoughtful. After a few minutes his face lights up with a smile. He grabs her hand and pulls her to her feet.

"I have an idea."

He starts pulling her towards the darkened beach house but she tugs back, confused.

"What do you mean you have an idea?"

He turns towards her and gathers her hands in his own. He flashes one of those genuine Nathan Scott smiles and she just about melts. He could get her to do damn near anything when he smiled at her like that.

"There's a piano up at the beach house. I want you to play for me."

Except that.

"Nathan, I can't! I've never even let Lucas hear any of my music!"

Her eyes are wide with panic and he pulls her in for a hug.

"It's just me Haley. You've got to start somewhere right? If you can't sing in front of me how are you ever going to play in front of those millions? Your dream, remember?" His tone is gentle and encouraging. He wants to be as supportive as possible, but he also wants to know that she cares about him enough to share something this private with him.

He knows he feels that way about her, otherwise he never would have told her the story about his childhood. He had never even told Lucas that story, and they shared the same absent father and had been through all the same things growing up.

He wanted her acceptance so badly; he wanted to feel like a real part of her life.

"What if I suck? Then I won't have a dream anymore." She whispers into his t-shirt. He lifts her chin, bringing her eyes to meet his. She's on the verge of tears, the sheen of moisture evident in her eyes.

And yet she's never looked more beautiful. His thumb grazes her cheek and he smiles down at her.

"I bet you're amazing. Everything you do is amazing."

She smiles back but her forehead is still wrinkled with doubt. She's scared. And she has a right to be. He's asking her to share something that she's never shared with anyone, not even her best friend. All because of her fear.

"Do you trust me?"

In that moment, the look of vulnerability on his face stops her dead in her tracks. He wasn't just asking her to sing for him. He was asking her to trust him with this, to share her life and her secrets with him. He flashes a shy smile, the unsure look in his eyes begging her to open up to him.

Not once had she seen Nathan Scott unsure of him self. Not once had he shown one ounce of vulnerability.

And yet here he was. Bearing it all to her. _Trusting_ her.

She finally looks up. Taking his cheek in her hand, she smiles at him.

"I trust you, Nathan."

He grins back like a little kid on Christmas morning and continues tugging her up the beach to the house. And as they make their way through the dark she realizes that she does trust him. More than he knows.

So much that it scares the shit out of her.


	5. The Gang's All Here And Then Some

**Title: **If It Means A lot To You

**Author: **Britnybella

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. Just love the characters.

**Summary: **The one that got away. We've all heard the cliché. For Nathan Scott, it's more than that. He never expected to fall in love with her that summer. Or break her heart. Now years later, unexpected events will cause him to have to finally face her.

**Authors note: So I know it's been a long time since I updated. But life has been hella crazy. I'm not too happy with this chapter but it is one that was pre written before my world got so crazy and I don't want to re write it now. Lol. Thanks for all who are still keeping up with my updates. I'm doing my best and also hope to start a new fic too pretty soon that will be a Brooke/Owen/Nathan love triangle. Thanks again guys!**

**Chapter 5 – The gang's all here… and then some. **

******_Present Day**_

As the cab halted for yet another red light at the intersection of Toledano St. and St. Charles Ave in New Orleans' historic Garden District, Liam realized they must be quickly approaching their destination. He stole a glance at his watch.

It had been thirty minutes since they left the airport. In that time they had made their way through suburban Metairie, and even most of the Garden District without the scenery, the people, the culture—_anything_ managing to elicit even a grunt of acknowledgment from the fair haired beauty seated to his right. And while the old mansions that littered the streets on either side were both beautiful and intriguing, Liam had a hard time believing they were the objects of Haley's rapt attention.

_Something_ was bothering her. That much was obvious.

The silence in the cab was almost deafening. In the whole time Liam had known Haley, she was always rambling on incessantly about one thing or another. It was one of the quality's he adored most about her.

She was trying to appear enveloped in the scenery, her face turned in the direction of the window. However the ram rod way she was seated and her constant fidgeting were a dead giveaway that she wasn't paying much attention to anything other than what was going on inside that pretty head of hers.

Finally, Liam couldn't take it anymore. He let out a long sigh.

"So he's the guy." He stated.

Haley turned to him, confusion shadowing her features. "What are you talking about?"

"Nathan." He stated simply. "He's the one that broke your heart."

Haley's face paled and she shook her head as if to deny the accusation but Liam only rolled his green orbs.

"Come on, Hales. Don't bullshit the bullshitter. How many countless times have I found you crying your eyes out? How many times have I held you and told you everything was going to be alright?" He asked. "People only cry like that for one of two reasons." He threw up two fingers and wiggled them for emphasis. "One, if someone they love dies. Or two, if someone they love breaks their heart." He dropped his fingers and shrugged. "The look in your eyes when you saw that Nathan kid made it pretty obvious which one we're talking about."

Haley could feel her face turning crimson, only this time it wasn't out of embarrassment. It was out of pure _anger, _and for more than one reason. The first being that Liam thought he had a right to call her out on this— the second being that she had made herself so damn transparent back at the airport.

Had it been that obvious to Nathan as well?

_Kill me now_

"Liam, you don't know _what_ you're talking about. I barely even _know_ Nathan." She spit out through clenched teeth.

"Is that so?" He paused for emphasis and gave her a pointed look. "Because from where I was standing it seemed like you two knew each other _pretty_ well." He scoffed.

Haley narrowed her eyes at him. "You're delusional, Liam. Drop it."

He chuckled and threw her his best shit eating grin before returning his attention to the window.

"_Whatever _you say, Haley J."

"Isn't this place incredible!" Brooke gushed as she ushered them into the grand foyer at the main entrance of the manor. As Haley stepped inside behind Lucas she looked around the room. Well, more accurately put, she gawked. The place was gorgeous, and massive. Nathan and Liam must have been thinking the same thing, because their expressions mirrored her own.

"It's beautiful, Brooke." Haley finally managed to get out.

Brooke wrapped her arms around Lucas' waist as he approached her to leave a light kiss on her forehead. "You don't think it's too much?"

Nathan chuckled as he adjusted the bag hanging from his shoulder. "I don't think we would expect anything less of you Brooke."

Brooke and Lucas shared a grin. "Yeah, well daddy has deep pockets. And what his little princess wants, she gets."

They all groaned and rolled their eyes good naturedly, but they knew it was true. Brooke had always been the beautiful, rich and popular girl. This meant she got whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted it. But surprisingly enough she was still a total sweetheart.

"So, let's go find everyone! They are beyond excited to see you guys. They're hanging around here somewhere." Brooke said as she started leading them down the ornate hallway.

"I hope they remembered to leave bread crumbs. This place is freaking huge." Liam whispered in her ear as he fell in step beside her, causing Haley to giggle despite the fact that she was technically still angry at him for cornering her about Nathan on the cab ride over.

Liam had a way of getting back into her good graces with little to no effort. Frankly, it down right annoyed her sometimes.

Like now.

Nathan watched as the blonde douchebag leaned in and whispered something in Haley's ear. She giggled shortly after and the muscles in Nathan's jaw tightened. Jealousy didn't look good on him, and he knew it. Besides that, he didn't even have the right to be jealous. Nor should he be after all this time.

That didn't matter though, because it seemed as if everything inside him still screamed _mine _when he looked at the girl_. _

All these years he had spent convincing himself that he was over Haley James, that the reason he couldn't get the girl off his mind was because he felt so badly about how he had treated her that summer. And yet being here, face to face with her, he knew he couldn't lie to himself anymore.

His feelings were _obviously_ still there. And that pissed him off to no end.

But he would be damned if he gave her the satisfaction of knowing that he was still hung up on her, not when she had brought her _boyfriend_ to his brother's wedding and made it very clear she had moved on long ago. It was obvious by the way she had looked at him when she had finally noticed him at the airport— like she didn't even remember that summer, like he was a _stranger_. He couldn't figure out why, but it had left a strange empty feeling deep in the pit of his stomach.

Nathan shook his head to clear his thoughts. He wasn't going to let this get to him. No, Nathan was going to ride this week out, find as many things wrong with her as he possibly could, and use that to convince himself that he no longer cared about Haley James once he got back to the safety of Chapel Hill.

Brooke led them into a large, extensively decorated parlor room where five familiar guests sat lounging around the coffee table engrossed in what looked like a very heated game of Jenga. Skills was hunched over the stack of wooden blocks, eyes determined and mouth hanging slightly open, while he concentrated extremely hard on wiggling one of the remaining blocks free from the bottom of the stack.

The rest of the participants sat enchanted, so focused on the game at hand that not one of them had noticed the visitors that had just entered the room. Their eyes darted from Skills to the blocks then back expectantly.

"There you guys are!" Brooke exclaimed, paying no mind whatsoever to the tension in the room.

The whole group in front of them, including Skills, jumped out of their seats in surprise. What was left of the Jenga stack came tumbling down, crashing loudly against the coffee table and ricocheting off in all directions.

There was silence for a few moments while everyone sat gaping at the ruined game. Brooke shot a 'Whoopsie' look at Haley, who snickered behind her hand.

"Aww hell, Brooke." Skills stated simply, raising an eyebrow at the mess spread out in front of him.

The rest of the participants finally snapped out of their dazed state and erupted into a fit of giggles.

"I think the self-proclaimed 'king of Jenga' has officially been dethroned!" Jake declared triumphantly, pumping his fist in the air. "And what was that smack he was talking before the game?" Jake looked around at the rest of the group with exaggerated expectancy.

"I believe it had something to do with wiping the floor with our faces." Peyton chimed in, playing along and tossing a playful smirk Skills' way.

"I think there was also something in there about making us cry like… _little bitches?_" Mouth looked to the attractive brunette on his right for confirmation. "Yes, I seem to recall that too." Millie nodded, wrapping her arm around his shoulders as she grinned widely at her boyfriend.

They all exchanged a quick amused glance then turned to Skills with eyebrows raised.

Skills returned their stare for a moment, and then pursed his lips as he shrugged and started to gather the wooden blocks into a pile. "Hey, that wasn't my fault. I thought a hyena done snuck up in here. I want a rematch."

"Hey! I do _not _sound like a hyena!" Brooke pouted as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Right, Lucas?"

Lucas started to respond but Nathan cut in before his brother could finish.

"Of course you don't sound like a hyena, Brookie"

Brooke smiled at him then turned to gloat in Skill's direction. "It was more like a banshee." Nathan finished, smirking. The smug look dropped from Brooke's face and she whipped around to nail her future brother in law in the shoulder.

Nathan chuckled and rubbed the spot on his arm where the petite brunette had punched him, pretending as though she had actually hurt him. "I love you too sis."

By that point, everyone else in the room had taken notice of the new guests that had arrived and were rushing over to greet them, grinning from ear to ear. "Hales!" Peyton screeched as she launched herself into Haley's waiting arms. "I missed you like crazy, tutor girl!"

"I missed you too!" Haley grinned and hugged her friend tight, then took a step back to survey the tall lanky blonde. She hadn't seen the girl face to face in over 3 years, unless you counted Skype, but she still looked much the same as the day they had graduated high school.

"I'm seriously thinking of packing up and moving to Cali. You look amazing Peyt!"

She was as tall as ever—her long, lithe body glowing from head to toe, her blonde hair, which was longer than it had been in high school, hung down her back in soft ringlets and Haley noticed she had discarded the punk rock garb of her youth for a more sophisticated, edgy style that seemed to suite her perfectly.

"Thanks." The blonde grinned graciously. "But it has a lot less to do with California, and a lot more to do with that adorable man over there." Peyton's gaze drifted to where Jake was; on the opposite side of the room goofing off with the guys. As if sensing her eyes on him, he turned to smile at her and mouthed an "I love you". Peyton blushed before mouthing back an "I love you more". Grinning, Jake shook his head and started in their direction.

Haley felt that all too familiar tightening around her heart yet again. All of her friends were blatantly, crazily in love. It would almost be sickening if it wasn't so damn adorable. Haley couldn't be happier for the people she loved and cherished, but the situation also felt like a cold hard slap in the face—the inevitable reminder of what she was missing in her life. Everyone around her seemed to be moving forward with their lives at hyper speed, while she felt rooted to the same painful spot unable to move on.

"Well Hello Ms. James." Jakes cheerful voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she smiled genuinely up at him. She had always adored Jake Jagielski. She hugged him tightly and the three of them quickly fell into an easy conversation catching each other up on their lives.

"So are you ever going to introduce us to your friend?" Jake finally interrupted. Haley stared at him blankly, then realization dawned on her and she slapped her palm against her forehead. Crap. Liam. She had forgotten all about him.

She turned to find him leaning up against the door frame, taking in the scene but not looking uncomfortable in the slightest at being the outsider.

"I'm so sorry!" She grabbed his arm to lead him over to the group as he smirked down at her. "That's okay; you know I'm used to you sporting the old Haley James dunce cap."

"Ha-ha." She retorted drily before introducing him to Peyton and Jake. As they exchanged pleasantries, Haley felt the unmistakable feeling of being watched. She scanned the room and suddenly locked eyes with a very disgruntled looking Nathan. She was taken aback for a moment, but on second glance it seemed as though the object of his scathing gaze was more Liam than herself. She frowned, confused by his actions and he must have sensed her stare because his eyes snapped to hers immediately. Her heart did a quick flip flop. It was amazing what one little look from him could do to her psyche, and she cursed herself. For one unguarded moment his face seemed to soften and there was something almost wistful in his gaze. Liam slipped his arm around Haley's shoulders and just as quickly anger hardened Nathan's features once again and he turned his attention back to the group of guys in front of him.

Unbelievable.

She couldn't believe he had the audacity to act as if she and Liam didn't belong there. She had been Lucas' best friend long before Nathan and Lucas had ever even officially met. She couldn't believe that he could act like such a self-righteous jerk; then again it shouldn't have surprised her at all.

He had proven himself to be that a _long_ time ago.

Eventually they all abandoned their bags in a pile by the door and moved to the oversized couches to continue catching up with each other, which led to the Jenga rematch Skills had challenged them all to earlier. Not two games in and he was already proving his claim at being "King of Jenga" to be true.

"They don't call me skills for nothing." He gloated after effectively removing a block from the bottom of the stack, that in turn gave Lucas absolutely no move whatsoever that wouldn't topple the whole stack. As it was, Lucas had always been a sore loser, and was now pouting.

"And all this time I thought that nickname was like an oxymoron or something—you know, meaning you actually had no skill whatsoever at _anything_." Lucas said pointedly, arms crossed over his chest like a 5 year old.

Skills just chuckled. "Luke, man, you want me to run to the kitchen and grab you some ice for that hater-aid you drinking?"

Everyone at the table giggled and Lucas rolled his eyes, but finally cracked a smile as Skills clapped him on the back.

They were all still laughing and carrying on as an unexpected voice rose above the ruckus.

"The party has arrived. And it seems as though just in time to save you lame-os." It called out. "Unless that's strip Jenga you're playing."

Liam, along with everyone else, turned to see who the new addition to the group was. An extremely tall, fake-tanned red head stood in the doorway. She was wearing a halter and mini skirt, had legs for days, perfect, obviously fake, breasts, and looked like she was used to getting what she wanted.

And whoever she wanted.

In other words, she was Liam's usual type. Not that those kinds of girls interested him at all. They were about as deep as a kiddie pool. But they tended to be a good time, wanted the same thing he wanted, no disillusions, and were cool about not getting attached.

He felt Haley stiffen beside him, and he glanced at her curiously. She wasn't looking at the girl, like everyone else seemed to be. She was calmly busying herself with stacking the Jenga blocks again. Outwardly she seemed nonchalant, but he could see that there was something more underneath the cool exterior. Whether it was panic or anger, he couldn't quite tell yet.

_Interesting_.

"Rachel!" Brooke called out in disbelief and jumped up to wrap the girl in a huge hug. "How did you get here!"

"Well, there's this thing called an airplane. You might have heard of it—"

"Can I get smartass for 100 please Alex?" Brooke smacked her playfully. "I mean, I thought you just _had _to be in Bali for that photo shoot."

Liam had to stifle a chuckle. A model. He should have known.

"I told them they could reschedule or go to hell. My baby cousin is only getting married once. Or that's the plan anyway." She stopped for a moment to shake her red tresses. "I should be here to watch your death march down the aisle." Rachel shot a smirk around Brooke to where Lucas was sitting and he shot a sarcastic smile right back. "Hello to you too, Rach."

Brooke just rolled her eyes and pulled the girl into the room. "For everyone who doesn't know, this is my cousin Rachel." Brooke pointed a thumb over her shoulder.

"Rachel, this is Mouth, Millie, —"

Brooke pointed to each of them as she went and as she reached Liam, Rachel stepped forward to appraise him, then, obviously liking what she saw, threw him a sly smirk. Brooke continued unaware.

"Jake, Skills—"

"Damn, mama!" Skills interrupted, surveying Rachel. Brooke rolled her eyes once again and continued.

"You already know Peyton, and Hales and Nate of course."

Rachel finally took her eyes off of Liam to saunter over to where Nathan was sitting at the end of one of the couches. "Hey, everyone." She said, distracted as she propped herself up on the arm of the couch. "Hey, Nate. Long time no see." Rachel leaned a little closer to Nathan than necessary and he visibly squirmed. "Hey Rachel." Nathan strained.

Everyone else said their hellos and then went back to their conversations.

Nathan looked like he was ready to bolt, Haley looked like she wanted to strangle someone, and everyone other than Liam seemed to be oblivious to the tension in the room. _And_ they were all going to be living under the same roof for the next week?

Liam chuckled drily and wondered what kind of drama was about to be unleashed.

_Very interesting indeed_.

"It's the last one on the left, Hales. Liam yours is across the hall." Brooke called over her shoulder as she led Rachel down the opposite end of the gigantic third floor hallway. Presumably to show the red head to her room, but one could always hope she was being led into the torture chamber instead. Haley was sure the place had to have one _somewhere_.

She pushed open the door to her room and Liam followed her inside, making his way to the oversized canopy bed on the far side of the large room. He deposited her luggage on the canary blue silk embroidered bedspread, and then turned to survey the room. After taking in the elegant armoire and vanity that matched the bed, the large gallery windows, the hardwood floors and the rooms own personal sitting area, he let out an impressed whistle.

"This place must have cost your friends a pretty penny."

He glanced at Haley who was already working on unpacking the contents of her bags. Normal Haley would be running around the room wanting to inspect everything and yapping his ears off. But this new Haley had been acting strange since the day she had asked him to come on this trip with her. He was slowly piecing together the puzzle, but he still didn't understand it all.

"Yeah, well Brooke Davis has never had to worry about anything, least of all money." The blonde grumbled as she continued to pull things out and toss them on her bed.

Liam sighed at her demeanor and leaned against the footboard next to her.

"So are you going to finally talk to me?" He asked gently.

Her brow furrowed but she didn't look up at him, instead she continued on with her task diligently as though she were oblivious to him.

"About….?"

Liam shrugged. "I don't know, maybe about what's been making you act like _pod-Haley_ since you found out about this wedding?"

The blonde girl rolled her eyes, as though he were blowing things way out of proportion. Honestly, he was getting a little sick of her attitude lately. And he had never lost his temper, not with Haley. "I don't know what you're talking about, Liam. I'm fine." She grabbed the first stack of clothes on the bed and turned to make her way to the armoire, but he grabbed her elbow and steered her back around to face him. "You know what Haley, this is really getting old." He let out through semi-clenched teeth.

She searched his face for a moment. The hard set of his jaw and determined glint to his blazing green orbs must have tipped her off that he wasn't going to back down this time, and finally she let out an acid chuckle. "Not as old as you acting like you own some kind of right to know all of my business. News flash Liam— you're not my daddy, or my _boyfriend_." She threw at him as she turned to head for the armoire once again. This time he let her go, feeling as though he had been sucker punched in the gut

"I don't owe you anything." She threw over her shoulder.

With her last statement he finally felt his anger bubble over the edge. "_Sorry_ that I actually care when I see you hurting, Haley. That's a lot more than I can say for you!" Haley whipped back around to fling a warning glare in her best friends direction, but he ignored it. "You invited me here as your security blanket and we both know it. I don't mind being used, Hales, but you could at least let me know what I'm being used for."

For the first time Haley noticed the hurt in his eyes, and it caused the snappy comeback to die on her tongue. Liam pushed off the bed and marched to the door, pausing before he left.

"I think you _owe_ me that much." He said so quietly she almost didn't hear it. Then he was gone.


End file.
